Looking for Lustre in Winter

Winter comes as a huge relief from scorching heat of summer and pouring monsoon. However, this change of seasons can affect hair in more ways than one.

Cold weather takes away the moisture from hair and scalp. This leads to skin flaking, resulting in dandruff and weakened hair follicles. It strips hair of its natural oils and leaves tresses dull and lifeless. Many a time, the excessive sebaceous secretions make the hair sticky and cause dust and dirt to adhere to the hair, making it look dull and craggy.

The cold climate causes contraction of the skin pores leading to an increased incidence of dandruff, acne and infection by fungi and bacteria. The cold winter ravages the hair and leaves it dry and frizzy. Split ends and hair breakage are also common complaints. Scalp conditions like dandruff, further leads to hair fall and add to the woes.

Homeopathic Care

Homeopathic medicines act upon the immune system and restorative energies of the body so that it heals itself, thus offering the best treatment options for most winter disorders. On the other hand, other medical systems target only the disease-causing germs or aim to offer symptomatic relief. Homeopathy offers individualised prescriptions that arm you against the season’s worst onslaughts and recurring winter woes.

● Calcarea Sulphur 6x, two tablets twice daily is recommended for dry, scaly, itchy dandruff; washing the scalp thrice a week with an anti-dandruff shampoo and warm water will also help.

● For dry dandruff with extreme itching five pills once daily of Sulphur 30 is recomended.

● Take Kali-s 6x—two tablets twice daily for sticky yellow flakes.

Here are some basic guidelines that can be incorporated in everyday life to protect hair.

Washing and Shampooing

When washing hair, don’t rub vigorously, scrub and pull. Rinse well with maximum care. Avoid taking hot showers or washing it in hot water. Lukewarm showers are best. Boiling hot water can leave the scalp dry and flaky and hair brittle. Also, do not shampoo hair too often. Excessive washing leads to depletion of natural hair oils. In cold weather, both the hair and scalp dries out very easily. Mop excess water with a towel. Choose a natural shampoo, containing natural ingredients. First, remove surface dirt through gentle rinse. Rinse and lather, again; massage your head to boost blood supply to the scalp and hair roots. Removing dirt is most important as accumulation of dirt causes dandruff.

Deep Conditioning

Apply a leave-in hair conditioner after bath to keep hair strands supple and shining. For those who want natural conditioners, coconut milk can be a good option.

Combing and Styling

Never brush hair when it’s wet. De-tangle them with fingers. Use a wide-toothed comb to smooth and untangle hair, gently. Begin to comb from the bottom, working slowly up the strands. Bend forward, allowing hair to plunge. Use a large oval brush to bring hair from the nape of the neck over the head and down to the ends. When it comes to styling, try spraying a small amount of hair spray on hairbrush, and brush it through from top to bottom. Avoid using hair dryers during winter season, as this will only make hair worse. Let it dry naturally.

Oiling

Oiling hair has been an age-old remedy for dry hair. One need not go for any expensive hair oils, but even a normal coconut oil can do wonders. One can also massage the scalp with almond, jojoba, or rosemary oil to replenish the natural nutrients in hair and scalp. It is advisable to apply oils like olive oil on a weekly basis. Oiling with warm oil also increases scalp blood circulation. It is also advisable to moisturise scalp by oiling hair overnight or 30 minutes before washing it.

Additional tips to minimise winter hair problems

● Mental or emotional tension, stress, smoking and alcohol can damage hair. Practising relaxation techniques, such as yoga or meditation, or listening to soft, soulful music, can certainly help.

● Use a scarf to protect hair from the winds and adverse weather conditions.

Disclaimer: We respect your thoughts and views! But we need to be judicious while moderating your comments. All the comments will be moderated by the NIE editorial. Abstain from posting comments that are obscene, defamatory or inflammatory, and do not indulge in personal attacks. Try to avoid outside hyperlinks inside the comment. Help us delete comments that do not follow these guidelines.